


Lightning Scars, Lightning Heals

by elizabethemerald



Series: ATLA Stories [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azula (Avatar) Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24685255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethemerald/pseuds/elizabethemerald
Summary: An Azula redemption story. What if, during Zuko’s Agni Kai versus his father, Azula spoke up in defense of her brother, then was burned and then banished alongside him?
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: ATLA Stories [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768270
Comments: 25
Kudos: 245





	Lightning Scars, Lightning Heals

I could only watch in shame as Zuko begged his father for forgiveness. And when the blow itself was struck, I looked away. It is my greatest shame, that I could not even watch it happen, much less raise a hand to stop it. However beside me, someone else watched, someone else reacted. 

Before Zuko’s pained scream had even finished Azula jumped from the stands, her blue fire launching her to the grounds for the Agni Kai. She stood boldly before her father at only twelve, barely reaching his waist. 

“You always said family is the most important thing in the world and this is how you treat your family?” She screamed at her father. “You don’t get to hurt him any more!”

Azula stood in front of her brother, a talented firebender in her own right, but she was no match for Ozai. This time, I could bear my shame no longer, and I stopped the Agni Kai, if it could even be called that. I stopped her punishment at the hand of my brother, allowed him to banish both prince and princess and hustled the children aboard the ship and away from the Fire Nation. 

She cried for the first week we were at sea, I could not remember the last time she had cried. She cried for her brother, cried for her lost home, cried for what her father had done to her. Ozai’s punishment to her was in many ways worse than what her brother received. Her’s was not the careful branding of a child who refused to fight after speaking out of turn. Her’s was the punishment of a favoured child who took a few too many lessons to heart. Her’s was a beating, and if I had not put a stop to it, could have been her death. 

Azula had identical hand prints burned into her wrists where her father had grabbed her. Another on her throat. She could barely breathe by the time we stepped on board. The burn rose up her cheek, almost blinding one eye like Ozai had done to Zuko. The worst was the lighting that arced across her back. Even now she still shivers when a storm approaches. 

When I got the children on board the ship that would be their home until they completed the impossible quest to find the Avatar, I immediately gave the order to cast off. We would sail under full steam away from the Fire Nation. They needed to heal, not just their bodies, but their minds from Ozai’s cruelty. 

During the following two years, they recovered, slowly. Zuko lost much of his depth perception and after seeing the strike against his sister, could not channel his fire bending into lightning. Azula, could not speak, her throat too damaged, however her bending remained as strong as ever, she gave up on bending fire, terrified of the force that had marked her and her brother, but put all of her effort into mastering lightning. She could do things with lighting that would have shocked even the most informed firebending sages. 

I found and brought aboard a teacher, who taught Azula how to speak with her hands, signing her intent. Zuko and I, and the rest of the crew learned these signs as well, so that Azula never wanted for someone to communicate with. Sometimes when she signed, lightning would crackle between her fingers, marking each word with flashes of light and the smell of ozone. 

In time we came across a village of the southern water tribe. There, as much to my surprise as anyone, we found the Avatar, an airbender, the last of his kind. He had been found by a young water bender, though truly, not so young, for she was the same age as Azula, and her brother. 

Zuko donned his armor, as the older brother he felt it was his duty to capture the Avatar. Not just to reclaim his honor, but to save his sister from being forced to live in exile. He was ready to fight the entire tribe and the Avatar in order to capture him and spare her any more pain. 

However it was Azula herself who tried convinced him otherwise. Her fingers sparked and crackled with electricity as she rapidly signed to him. The others could not understand what she was saying and would not for some time, but Zuko did, and so did I. 

Azula argued that it was complete nonsense that they still try and serve Ozai. He had banished them, burned them, scarred them. Left her mute, and him half blind in one eye. And still she was ambitious as ever. She argued that with the help of the Avatar they could unseat the Fire Lord and take his throne for themselves. 

I watched, my heart filled with trepidation as they talked. The waterbender, her brother and the Avatar watched as well, they had no way of knowing which way their fates would go, but knew that this conversation was important. 

What ended the argument was Zuko removing his helmet. From the long time I knew him and had been beside him on this voyage I knew he did it so he could see his sister better. Especially when she was excited, angry or scared her lightning would make it hard to read her signs, and the helmet limited his vision. 

When the waterbender saw his scar she gasped. And that seemed to break something in young Zuko. Even his enemies pitied him, could not believe that such a blow had been struck, so obviously by another firebender. They pitied him even without knowing that his own father had burned him. 

He made the offer of peace to the Avatar. He translated Azula’s terms, and after some more discussion the Avatar agreed, so long as the waterbender girl and her brother came with them. And so, the ship, crew now joined by two water tribe children, the last airbender and a skybison, departed once more. 

In time all of the children learned from each other. The Avatar learned to bend Water, Fire, Lightning, and in time Earth when they were joined by another talented young bender. 

Aang, watched as Azula’s hands and fingers flew and recognized the language his people had created. Though changed by their 100 year absence from the world, it was still the same tongue they had used to speak and be heard no matter how hard the wind blew. I watched as eddies of air blew between his fingers and heard the sound of his voice clear as day though he did not open his mouth. Azula who had mastered Lightning at only 14 watched as well and in time learned to make the lightning sing for her, speak for her. Now any who could hear, could understand her, as long as her hands were free, as the crackling lightning formed itself into words. 

Katara taught my nephew and niece that elements can change and can heal. Zuko learned how to warm another with his fire without burning them, he learned how to cook food and I helped him learn how to make tea. His fire didn’t have to burn with the pain and rage of what his father did to him. Azula learned how to wield her lightning with a precision I had never seen before. She learned that when someone was injured she could create the tiniest of sparks to close the wound, and then Katara could speed the healing. 

Sokka taught the others with his quick thinking wit, inventive nature and rapier tongue. He learned in turn to master his weapons like Zuko had done with his swords. He took Azula’s lightning and bottled it, creating weapons and tools that could release the lighting on command. 

When Aang had learned what he could of bending, mastering the different elements and their varied forms, it was time for action. They had managed to avoid or defeat the Fire Nation fleet again and again, but it was finally time to face Ozai himself. He was no match for the Avatar, two master firebenders, a master water bender, a master earth bender, who had created metal bending, and a lightning bender. He faced his mute daughter and his half blind son, and fell that day. 

Azula and Zuko worked together, to rebuild the Fire Nation, and make reparations to the other kingdoms. Aang focused on the Air Nomads, while Katara worked with unifying the Water Tribes. Sokka helped build a city where any person was welcome. Toph used her Metal bending to create an impressive police force. 

And for at least a little while there was peace, as the Fire Nation was ruled under the share throne of the Fire Lords Zuko and Azula. 

**Author's Note:**

> Azula becomes a famous surgeon, able to use her lightning mastery to perform surgeries. Maybe she falls in love with Katara. I purposefully left the ships vague, but personally KataraxRedeemed!Azula and ZukoxSokka. I don't know who Aang marries, but Toph probably marries Suki and Ty Lee and Mai, definitely get married as well, maybe they join Katara and Azula in a four way relationship. 
> 
> Find me on tumblr at elizabethemerald.tumblr.com, feel free to send me asks or prompts.


End file.
